Casket clamp



Feb. 7, 1928.

' F. THOMAS CASKET CLAMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 18, 1927 TEA INVENTOR.

,4, A TTORNEY.

Feb. 7, 1928. 4 1,658,616

F. THOMAS CASKET CLAMP Filed March 18, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fi L a 5 l 1 1 '7 J 4 k /2 v2 lily/l I I Z I I J E I IE5 M INVENTOR. /6 a @I BY m 21W,

h ATTORNEY.

Y My invention has Patented Y, 1928.

UNITEDSTATES PATENT QFE'IQEL.

FRANK THOMAS, F STERLINGQZL'LIN 01S,

.ASSIG'NOB TU THE EUREKACUMPANY,

' ROCK FALLS, ILLINOIS.

casirnr star/tr.

Appnbamn filed March 18, 1927. "Serial No. matte.

reference to casket clamps, such as are employed for holding a burial casket in place in a funeral car, and

it is more specially design-ed for use with a casket supporting truck, of the type shown in theapplication for Letters Patent of the United States for a sidedoading hearse, filed by i/Vilbnr Myers and myself on the twentyfirst day ofFebruary, 1927, Serial No. 169,- 776. It is not limited to suchuse, however,

but may be adaptedfor'operation with the usual floors ortables of hearses. In the use first mentioned the truck is supported movably on the floor of the vehicle. and it is es sential that the 'mechanism for holding a casket in place thereon should be of a reliable character, and capable of being quickly and easily operated. The present invention is designed to meet these requirements.

lhe device is also constructed in such a manner as to permit of a quick adjustment thereof to caskets of varying sizes.

. In the drawings i Fig. 1 is a plan view of a casket truck equipped with the invention, with a portion of the floor of the truck brokenaway to disclose the same, and the invention shown.

partly in section. w 1 p Fig. 2 is an end view of the truck, with a casket positioned thereon.

Fig. 3 is a detail of the clamp arm 11,

partly in section.

Fig. 4c is a fragmentary sectionalview showing the inner end of the rod 10.

Fig. 5 is a detail of the outer end-of the rod 16.

The reference number 1 indicates a truck or other casket receiving body, provided with a floor 2, beneath which is a space in which. the clam ing devices are installed.

At the sides of t e truck are verticallysupported pins 4L, on which are rollers 5, between" which the casket is positioned. The pins are held removably in perforations 7 in plates 6, set in the floor of the truck, whereby said pins are adjustable laterally of the truck, to adapt the same to caskets of varying widths. Rollers 3 are also provided in the floor 2, to provide for an easy movement of the casket. At the rear end of the truck are fixed thereto stops 4, which limit the move- ,ment of the casket in that direction, and

cooperate with the clamping mechanism in holding the from movement on the In the ends of the truck near oneof the sides thereof is fixed a pair of bearings 8, in which are held the ends of a tubular sup port 9, in which is slidable a hollow rod 10, fixed to the outer end of which is a clamp arm 11. Secured tothe clamp-arm is a resilient plate 12, provided at its end with a pad 1 3 for contact with the endof a casket. Rocki'ngly mounted in the clamparm 11 is a shaft 14-. in the inner end of which is a crank-pin 15. to wh ch is attached oneend of a rod 16.which extends through the rod 10, and is fitted at its inner end with a cone 17,

the rod 10. The end of the rodlO is provided with two or more slits as shown at19,

and upon said cone being drawn inwardly the end of the rod is expanded, causing a frictional engagement between said rod and the support 9, holding the rod from movement.

Fixed to the outer end of the shaft 14 is a handle 20, by means of which the shaft may be rocked. A quarter-turn of said shaft. operates to turn thepin 15 from a position at the inner side of the shaft, as shown in Fig. 5. to a position at the upper side thereof. This moves the rod i6 outwardly a sufiici'ent distance to expand the end of the rod 10, and

lock such rod in place. To accomplish this the handle is moved from a horizontal position as shown in broken lines in Fig. 3 downwardly into avertical position as shown in full lines in Figs. 2 and 3. By moving the handle upwardly again the pressure of the cone 17 in the end of the rod 10 is relieved. and said rod can again be moved inwardly or outwardly, or rocked so as to permit the clamp-arm to be turned to one side, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 2.

At the outer end of the handle 20 is a disk 21. having a pivotal connection with an angular extension 22 on the outer end of the plate 12'by means of a pin 23. aid'pin is a little out of line with the center line of the shaft 14, so that upon the handle 20 being turned downwardly the end of the plate 12- is forced in the direction of the truck, caus ing the pad 13 to engage the end of a casket supported on such truck, as shown in Fig. 2. By this means such casket is held tightly between the arm 11 and stops at the opposite end of the truck. Upon the handle 20 being turned upwardly again the arm. 12 springs hack to its normal position; This clamp-arm can then be turned to one side, and the casket removed.

When a casket is to be placed in position on the truck the clamp-arm 11 is turned outwardly out of the way, and preferably locked in place at the side of the truck. This can be accomplished by giving the handle 20 a quarter-turn in either direction, to actuate the rod 16. The casket is then placed on the truck and the clamp arm released and turned inwardly into position in line with the base of the casket. The rod 10 is then moved inwardly until the pad 13 isin contact with the casket base, whereupon the handle 20 is forced downwardly as before mentioned, simultaneously. locking the clamp-arm from movement and causing the engagement of the pad with the casket.

The outer end of the cone 18 is formed into a tool-hold 24, for use with a screwdriver or other tool for turning the cone upon its seat on the rod 16. with which it lit) has a threaded connection. The position of the conecan thus be adjusted without removing any of the parts, to cause a more positive engagement of the expansion sections with the tube 9.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination with a casket bearing body and stops at one of the ends thereof, a support disposed longitudinally of said body, a clamp-rod having a slidable relation with said support, and provided with means for a locking engagement with said support at any point in its movement, a clamp-arm at the outer end of said rod, adapted for engagen'ient with the end of a casket supported on said body, a shift member carried by said clamp-arm, and connecting means between said shift member and said clamp-rod locking means adapted to cause the engagement thereof with said support, or to release the same. a r

2. In vcombination with a casket bearing body and stops at one end thereof, a support disposed longitudinally of said body, a clamp-rod having a slidable relation with said support, and means connected therewith for holding the same in adjusted positions at any point in its movement, a clamparm at the outer end of said clamp-rod and a contact member associated therewith, a

shift member connected with said clamparm and operatively connected with said contact member, and connections between said shift member and said clamp-rod holding means, capable of actuating said means coincidently with the operation of said contact member.

3. A casket holding device, adapted for attachment to a casket bearing table. comprising atubular member and tubular rod movable therein, and provided at its inner end with expansion sections. a clamp-arm at the outer end of said rod, and shift member thereon, and a rod connected with said shift member, extending through said tubular rod, and provided on its inner end with means for expanding said expansion sections, to cause a frictional engagement thereof with said tubular member.

4. A casket holding device, comprising a tubular support and tubular rod held telescopically therein, means carried by one of said parts for holding said rod immovably in any position it may occupy in said support, a clamp-arm on the outer end of said rod. an actuating device connected therewith. and a rod connected with said actuating device, positioned in said tubular rod, and provided with means for operating said tubular rod holding means upon being suitably moved by said actuating device.

5. A casket clamp, comprising a tubular support, adapted to be installed in a casket bearing body, a tubular rod movable there in. and provided at its innerend with means for engagement with said support. ,a clamparm fixed to the outer end of said tubular rod, and a resilient contact member carried thereby, a handle member held in said clamparm, having an eccentric connection with said contact member. and capable of forcing the same into engagement. with a casket held on such casket bearing body, upon being properly rocked. and a rod operatively connectedwith said handle member, positioned in said tubular rod, and provided at its inner end with means for actuating said support engaging means, coincidently with the operation of said contact member.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

FRANK TnoMas. 

